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 Round table at the Oetzi Congress in Bozen 2011 (photograph: EURAC)
We keep calling him "Oetzi" like he is called since his discovery in
1991: He grew up in the alpine valleys of Europes early copper age, was
still hunter and gatherer but already knew cattle breeding and agriculture and - what was surprising to that time: he knew already metallurgy, how to produce copper, much earlier than was estimated by archeologists until that day. The most sensational item found next to him was a totally conserved copper ax with complete handle . Proof for neolithic immigration from the East?
Analysis of his genome reveals that he probably has no
living descendants and genetically belonged to a population group which
is in modern Europe extremely rare but still existent in populations of
North Africa, the Middle East and other parts of Asia, suggesting that
he may be a proof for the neolithic migration which took place some
10.000 years ago. Central Europe was inhabited and resettled after the
Ice Age 8000 b.c. not only by paleolithic hunters and gatherers but
also in several waves from the East came people who introduced
agriculture, the horse and other early civilisatoric inventions to
Europe.
His last meal was capricorn steak and einkorn
In Bozen, Austria, there was the "2nd Bolzano Mummy Congress" where 100
scientists from around the world gathered together to compare and
discuss the latest research results of "Oetzi". In a round table
discussion they now agreed on the reconstruction of the last hour of
the man who represents the oldest cold case ever known: one thing seems
clear since the discovery of an arrowhead in the shoulder of the man of
the copper age: Oetzi died violently (in the estimated age of 45 years)
in 3200 m altitude. Many scenarios where suggested. He fled from his
village after a fight, he was a kind of chieftain who was killed during
a prehistoric battle, he was an oblation in ritual ceremony. Every
scenario can be underlined by certain research aspects.
But obviously he was neither pursued and then shot on the run nor was
he killed in action. Oetzi was murdered from behind while he feeled
save and had an extensive meal consisting of capricorn meat (wild game
still living in the Alps), einkorn (an ancient corn cultivar which
first was bred some 9000 years ago) and apple. This was revealed by
endoscopic analysis of Oetzis stomach. Further the scientists could
show that he died in spring, not in autumn as supposed until now.
Nanotechnology methods added one more surprising detail of his death:
caused by a cosh or a fall he suffered from a craniocerebral injury
(severe injury of the cranial bone, skull bone). This alone could have
let to his death again suggesting that some kind of fight or argue
happened before Oetzi died. As the copper axe (an extremely valuable
item for that time) and all other equipment wasn't stolen it seems
possible that jealousy or other personal motives moved his murderer(s)
to kill him.
Homo homini lupus
His murderers will always remain unknown but fascinating details of a
5000 years old criminal case could be revealed with the means of modern
forensic medicine and other sciences. The personal tragedy of Oetzi
some 5000 years ago however remains a stroke of luck for science (as
during the last 20 years) and will be a scientific object many more
years to come.
The story of the man who belonged to an unknown people in the dawn of
the prehistoric time teaches us one important thing: times and
technologies may be changing throughout the millenia but the human
nature never changes. "Homo homini lupus". Source: http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news447373 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_Fritz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRXiwWpmSbs
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